A New Beginning For Illinois Sports Betting: Senate, House Pass Bill That Will Let You Sign Up For A Sportsbook Online And More

We finally have a definitive end date for in-person sports betting registration, awaiting Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature.

On March 5, 2022, both the Senate and House passed HB 3136 on a Thursday night. The bill also permits betting on in-state college teams, with the condition that betting must take place in-person.

Thursday marked a pivotal moment in the Illinois sports betting industry, with substantial implications for the future of the gaming industry within the state.

Here are five impacts HB 3136 will have on sports bettors in Illinois.

By March Madness, Illinois should be able to register for online sports betting.

Had the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) previously issued a mobile-only license, the sole option would have been in-person registration.

However, each of those licenses cost $20 million, causing genuine worry that no one would place a bid on them. As a result, this situation could have led to the perpetual implementation of in-person registration.

The article provides a definite conclusion time in case the trigger doesn’t occur. You can examine it fully below:

This holds significance. If you’ve been considering signing up for sports betting apps but haven’t done so yet, you’ll soon be able to do it without the need to visit a brick-and-mortar sportsbook.

Illinois ranks third in the US sports betting market based on monthly handle. The reintroduction of online registration could potentially propel it to second place, overtaking Nevada, and help it aim for a monthly handle of $1 billion in the coming years.

You & rsquo will be able to wager on college teams in Illinois.

HB 3136 changes the existing rule that prohibits betting on in-state school teams in Illinois.

Betting on teams such as Illinois, Northwestern, DePaul, etc., should be accessible instantly. However, the most beneficial aspect is that it’s only permissible under lawful conditions.

Most sports bettors in Illinois won’t notice this change immediately unless they frequently visit retail sportsbooks at casinos or racetracks, despite it being a gradual policy adjustment (more details on this shortly).

In either scenario, it signifies a significant shift. Last year, when Illinois faced Loyola Chicago at the NCAA Tournament, betting on Illinois was illegal in the Land of Lincoln. However, this is expected to change in 2022.

The bill stipulates that only initial bets are allowed, thus prohibiting live betting as well.

Wintrust Arena may submit an application for a sports gambling certificate.

Under the 2019 gaming bill, sports venues in Illinois could apply for sports betting licenses. However, Wintrust Arena, the home of the current WNBA champion Chicago Sky, was not on the list of eligible spaces.

HB 3136 establishes this right. It also includes Wintrust Arena as part of the United Center, Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, and Guaranteed Rate Field, in the process of submitting an application for a financial sports betting certificate.

Naturally, none of those venues have submitted applications yet. There are certain policies in Chicago that need to be implemented first, but this should occur in due time.

Michael Alter, the owner of Sky, has been insistent on introducing sports betting to Wintrust Arena. His determination led to him being fined $5,000 by the city for lobbying without registration.

Ultimately, Alter succeeded and the bill now incorporates Wintrust Arena.

There ought to be more virtual casinos soon.

Since March 2021, Illinois has featured on six online casinos. This is because launching a sportsbook in a physical registration setting is quite challenging.

DraftKings, FanDuel, and similar companies had over seven months to register users remotely during Pritzker’s executive order. However, when Pritzker ended the order in April, it left little motivation for any new sportsbooks to be launched.

This should change from March 2022 onward. We know that BetMGM, Unibet, theScore Bet, Bally Bet. WynnBet. and Golden Nugget are interested in offering Illinois sports betting. There are likely even more entities interested beyond those listed.

A new generation of bookmakers is slated to debut in 2022. This development is expected to offer more choices to consumers, more promotional offers, a variety of betting lines, and so on.

We are getting closer to placing institution team bets online.

While the necessity for in-person betting can make wagering on Illinois college teams less enjoyable, we are moving towards full legalization, marking a step forward in development.

This summer, Rep. Michael Zalewski, the initiator of this legislation, confirmed its existence to Play Illinois. If in-person betting on Illinois school teams proves successful, it is hoped that an expansion of the policy to online platforms might gain more support from lawmakers.

Josh Whitman, the Athletic Director of Illinois, is the most ardent opponent of the law, and it seems he has garnered sufficient support from lawmakers to wield influence.

Nonetheless, most US states that allow legal sports betting also authorize mobile betting on their college teams. Markets like these have proven to be successful, and ultimately, people from Illinois should also have the opportunity to participate.